Sporting Kansas City ownership meets with captain Matt Besler to discuss his future

As his Sporting Kansas City future lingers in a precarious position, Matt Besler took part in productive conversations with club owners over the weekend, according to his agent.

The agent, Eddie Rock, said Besler also “had a really good conversation” with Sporting KC technical director and manager Peter Vermes.

Besler is under contract with Sporting KC through the 2015 season, but his recent play in the World Cup has ignited transfer opportunities to play in the English Premier League or Bundesliga in Germany.

Rock said it would likely be another seven to 10 days before Besler’s future is determined. In the meantime, negotiations toward a contract extension — and a potential raise — with Sporting KC will continue.

“There’s been ongoing conversation with Sporting over the last month,” Rock said. “We’re still in that phase. And by no means are those conversations over.”

After his first appearance in a World Cup — a highly-rated one, at that — Besler returned to Kansas City on Friday, but he sat out Sporting Kansas City’s home match Sunday against Chicago.

Besler rejoined Sporting KC for its training session on Tuesday and will be available Saturday when the team travels to Montreal — provided he’s still a member of the club.

Vermes said Tuesday he believes Besler and teammate Graham Zusi will be with the team for the long-term.

“I’m a positive thinker, so that’s the way I think about it,” Vermes said.

Besler said Sunday that while he is happy in Kansas City — even calling it a dream to play his entire career with Sporting KC — he is leaving all options open regarding his future.

“In the position that I’m in right now, you may only get these kind of opportunities once in your lifetime. I feel the need to at least look into potential opportunities and make a decision from there,” Besler said Sunday.

In a related matter, the Major League Soccer summer transfer window opened Tuesday. Vermes said Sporting KC has reached agreements with at least two transfer additions, but they likely won’t be announced until next week. The only hurdle prior to the announcements is the completion of paperwork, Vermes said.

He downplayed rumors of the club making significant moves during the window, which closes Aug. 6., though he acknowledged those plans could change if Besler or Zusi pursue overseas offers.

“We’re not trying to go crazy in the window,” Vermes said. “We don’t think we need to. Although we have some injuries and things like that — so we do need to add a few players here in there — we want to make sure we maintain a very good position going into the winter window at the start of 2015.”

Sporting KC announced Tuesday that it has reached an agreement with 22-year-old midfielder Michael Kafari. Vermes classified the addition as more of a long-term project rather than an immediate impact. Kafari is a defensive midfielder.